


Dragon Fire

by AzureFrost



Series: Dragons [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Anal Sex, Angst and Humor, Knights - Freeform, M/M, Magic, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Romance, Wizards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-13
Updated: 2014-07-13
Packaged: 2018-02-08 14:50:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1945263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzureFrost/pseuds/AzureFrost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A dragon is terrorizing North Ameland, the northern most village of the kingdom. Sir Gilbert Beilschmidt is sent to slay the beast.<br/>Matthew is a dragon living peacefully with his brother and brother in-law. His peace is broken one day when a knight tries to slay him and the poor dragon nearly kills the knight.<br/>When Gilbert woke he was greeted by the most beautiful face he had ever seen. He and Matt find themselves falling in love, but Matt has a secret that may destroy their happiness.<br/>What will happen to these luckless lovers?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The sun beamed down brightly in the warm noon time blue sky and warmed the earth with its brilliant rays. A soft breeze blew through the branches of the evergreen trees that surrounded the clearing in front of a large cave. Birds sang cheerfully on their perches as the other animals skittered about the forest floor. All in all it was a beautiful, tranquil day.

Matthew languidly sprawled across the large granite outcropping that jutted out above the cave. He stretched out his massive leathery wings and reveled in the feel of his violet scales warming in the light.

"This feels amazing," the dragon muttered as he closed his violet eyes and his one curly golden fringe fell across his right eye. He let his lithe body go lax and his left hind leg hung casually over the ledge.

As the periwinkle reptile dozed he failed to notice as an azure scaled dragon stealthily crept toward him from the forest. The beast smiled as he moved forward like a silent, predatory cat. The blue lizard moved so that he was under the purple creature and slightly covered by the cave opening. Once he was in position the wheat gold fringed reptile took a massive breath and bellowed out a gargantuan roar destroying the peace of the day. All the creatures of the forest cried out in fear and scrambled madly for safety.

Matthew started in surprise and fell off of his perch. His wings snapped closed tightly to his body as the massive beast landed on his left side. Worried that he was in danger, the violet dragon quickly leapt to his feet with smoke emanating from his mouth. He quickly rounded on the possible threat and opened his mouth to shoot forth a mighty blast of fire. Disappointingly, only more smoke came forth.

"Aw...I thought for sure that would work," the cerulean dragon whined as he moved closer to the violet dragon from his place at the mouth of the cave.

"Damn it Alfred! You scared me to death!" Matthew exclaimed as he glared at his brother and growled deep in his throat.

Alfred flinched at his brother's harsh tone and gave him an apologetic look. Somehow managing to look like a wounded wolf pup.

"I'm sorry, Mattie. I was just trying to help you find your fire," the azure reptile said and hung his head making his golden fringe droop. Well all but that once piece that defied gravity.

Matthew looked at his downtrodden sibling and gave a weary sigh with violet eyes rolling toward the sky. He knew that Alfred meant well and sincerely thought he was helping.

"It's fine, Al. I know your heart was in the right place," the violet lizard said as he affectionately bumped his snout against the cerulean dragons. "It's not your fault I'm such a pathetic excuse for a dragon,"

"You're not pathetic, Matt!" Alfred cried head shooting up and unfurling his wings in frustration. He hated when his brother got down on himself. "Just because you don't have your fire doesn't make you any less of a dragon,"

"Al, really it's fine…" Matt started to protest.

"No! You are so good at other things. You are the fastest flyer I know. Your sight is so sharp you can spot prey, even tiny prey, like it's a super power," the cerulean eyed dragon said as he placed a clawed foot on his brother's shoulder. "Fire does not define your worth,"

Matthew blinked at the wise words that had come from his usually childish sibling.

"Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" the periwinkle reptile asked teasingly.

"Don't be mean, Matt," the indignant beast said puffing out his cheeks in a pout.

"Sorry and thanks. I feel better now," the lemon gold fringed dragon said with a snort and friendly smile.

"Anytime, bro. I am a hero after all and it's my job to help others," the wheat gold fringed reptile said with a dopey grin and set his foot back on the ground.

"You know that humans usually cast dragons as villains in their stories that you love so much," the purple dragon teased.

"Well I plan on changing that stereotype. Dragons can be heroes too," Alfred retorted holding his head up proudly.

"Whatever you say, Alfred," Matthew said with a chuckle before changing the subject. "So how is Arthur?"

"Grumpy and adorable as ever. Though he's been getting on my nerves with how over-protective he's been since we found out I'm pregnant. It was cute at first, but now I want to set his eyebrows on fire," the azure beast said with a chuckle and his blue eyes full of love. A clawed foot instinctively reaching down to caress his swollen stomach.

"It still is slightly weird to me that you're pregnant," the slender reptile said as he eyed his brother's belly. Honestly, when he had been initially told the news the purple dragon had thought it was joke, but now seeing his sibling swelling with child the reality settled in.

"Try being the guy it's happening to. Especially, when the little wiggler moves. First time that happened I had a panic attack," Alfred said jovially a warm smile on his face and his eyes alight with pure joy. His clawed foot continued to caress his midsection.

"I would have loved to have seen that," Matthew said with a chuckle, but his periwinkle eyes were wistful. "I am happy for you and Arthur. I hope someday I can find someone like you did,"

The cerulean dragon felt his heart clench at the sad look in his brother's eyes. The sad truth was that for a dragon there weren't many options for finding a mate. Other dragons were few and far between. Especially female dragons. Finding a mate among other species was very difficult as well. Alfred had been one of the lucky ones.

"Hey," the wheat gold fringed beast said softly bumping his snout to his siblings affectionately. "Don't lose hope. There's someone out there for you and you'll find them someday,"

Violet, doleful eyes locked with optimistic, azure ones and Matthew couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face.

"Yeah. Someday,"

* * *

"Gilbert!" a strong male voice cried out angrily rousing Sir Gilbert Beilschmidt from his slight doze beneath the courtyards apple tree. The silver haired man cracked open one of his ruby eyes to see his younger brother, Ludwig, storming towards him glaring daggers.

"What is it, West? I'm trying to take a nap," the albino said as he rolled to his side using an arm as a pillow and turning his back to the approaching man.

"So this is where you have been hiding. Get your lazy ass up now," the ice blue eyed man stated fiercely as he loomed over the prone man his arms crossed over his broad chest.

"Later, West. I'm tired," the pale man said with a yawn and a wave of his unoccupied arm.

Suddenly, Gilbert was seized by the back of his tunic and was yanked to his feet with a less than manly yelp. As soon as he was released the older man whirled around and glared at his younger brother.

"What the Hell, Lud?" the enraged man exclaimed his arms flying skyward fiercely.

"Why weren't you at training? You are supposed to be helping me train the new recruits," the larger man demanded as his blue eyes locked angrily with the smaller man's red ones.

"I'm a knight of the realm, not a damn babysitter. Why do I have to help train some wet behind the ears new recruits?" the silver haired man retorted with a roll of his eyes.

"As punishment for flirting with the queen and, thusly, falling out of favor with the king," Ludwig said pinching the bridge of his nose. He could feel a massive headache starting behind his eyes.

"Kesesese. She came onto me first. I can't help that I'm so awesome women throw themselves at me," the ruby eyed man laughed.

The stoic blonde opened his mouth to further berate his brother, but stopped when he heard his name being called. Turning, his blue eyes fell upon a page boy named Peter rushing toward him.

"Peter, what do you need?" the large man asked as the boy came to a stop before him. The small blonde paused to catch his breath, but quickly straightened into a salute.

"Captain Beilschmidt, have you seen your...Oh there he is," the pageboy said with surprise and glee as he looked past Ludwig to see Gilbert. The blue eyed boy quickly scurried toward the albino knight and held a piece of parchment out to him.

"What's this?" the ruby eyed man queried as he took the parchment. Red eyes quickly scanned the document and then a bark of laughter rang out from the silver haired man.

"Well?" Ludwig prompted. He wanted to get back to his work with or without his brother.

"Out of favor with the king my arse. He just gave me an assignment to go and slay a dragon. This is awesome!" Gilbert said waving the parchment above his head. The younger man quickly snatched the paper and his steely blue eyes scanned its contents. His brow furrowed with concern and his frown deepened.

"Bruder…" the tall blonde started but was cut off by his sibling.

"Kid, go tell His Highness that I accept his task and will leave immediately. A dragon! Damn I'm the luckiest, most awesome person ever!" the albino gloated as he spun on his heels and made his way toward his lodgings. He needed to gather his gear and prepare his horse. Too bad his best friends, Francis and Antonio, were off on their own quest. They would be so jealous.

"I'm not a kid, jerk" Peter exclaimed to the departing knight. He made a quick salute to Captain Beilschmidt and turned on his own heels to return from whence he came. He'd been given an order after all. If he wanted to be a great knight he always had to follow orders. No matter how jerky his superior was.

Ludwig returned the boys salute and watched the retreating form of his brother. A heaviness slowly settled into his stomach filling him with dread. He had heard many tales about the dragon his brother was being sent to kill. The beast had been terrorizing the village of North Ameland which lay on the kingdom's northernmost border.

It was a relatively small village, but it was vital. The villages northern border was dense forest and tall mountains. Much of the lumber used in the kingdom came from North Ameland. The area had been very peaceful until a few months ago when a dragon had appeared. It was a massive creature with a tough hide the color of amethyst and fringed in silver.

The beast had already killed many villagers that had neared it's layer while logging. It also had killed the small battalion of knights that were there to protect the village as well as two other more experienced knights sent to slay it. It had mercilessly killed all these men in a brutal and savage manner. Thankfully it had yet to turn it's rage fully upon the village itself, but that did not mean that they should falsely hope it never would. This monster needed to be dealt with swiftly.

A shudder trailed down the blonde's spine as his brother disappeared from his sight. Worry clenched his heart in it's clawed hand and made him ache. Would this be the last time they would see each other? Would Gilbert meet the same fate those other men had? Should he plead with the king to spare his brother? He knew Gilbert was quite skilled (though he would never admit that aloud. His brother's ego was big enough as is), but still this dragon was very powerful.

The captain shifted his weight to follow after his brother, but stopped when he again heard his name being called frantically.

"Luddy! Luddy!" a distraught voice called and the blue eyed blonde felt the sudden impact of another body striking his back. Lifting his right arm and looking behind him the knight found Feliciano, the barracks cook, attached to him.

"Feli?" Ludwig queried and arched an eyebrow momentarily forgetting his worry.

"Luddy, you have to come back now! The recruits are picking on me. They are eating all my pasta and it's not even lunch time! Please, Luddy!" the excitable man exclaimed as he released the bigger man. He then took the blonde's large hand and began tugging on it earnestly.

A weary sigh escaped the tall man as he allowed himself to be lead back to the barracks by the smaller man. He had his own duties to see to. He just needed to have faith in his brother. He needed to believe that he would succeed and be hailed as a hero. He would have a message sent to his brother before he left wishing him luck and safe journeys. He would also make an offering at the temple for his brother's safe return.


	2. Chapter 2

It took nearly a month for Gilbert to reach North Ameland since the village lay on the northern most border of the kingdom. Initially when he set out he was still near the ‘civilized’ part of the kingdom where there were plenty of taverns with the three ‘B’s that a knight needed: Booze, beds, and brothels.

As he travelled northward taverns became sparse and he spent many nights sleeping under a tree with hardtack as his meal. His armor became quite bothersome and more than once he had considered deserting it. He could get new armor, but that cost a lot of money. So he sucked it up and wore it. When he finally reached the village he was tired, hungry, and irritated beyond comprehension.

Looking around he spotted the local tavern just ahead of him and nearly wept with joy. Finally an actual bed, real food, and hopefully a warm body to go with that bed. He urged his steed forward and quickly dismounted when he reached his destination.

“Shall I take your horse, sir?” a blonde haired boy asked as he approached the albino.

“Thanks,” the ruby eyed knight said as gratefully and handed the reins to the younger man. “Tell me does the tavern have rooms available,”

“Yes sir, they have several. My brothers and I own the tavern and stables. I’m Raivis by the way,” the young man, Raivis, said and extended his hand. Gilbert took the pre-offered hand and gave it a firm shake.

“Sir Gilbert Beilschmidt, awesome knight of the realm,” the boastful man stated with his signature smirk and released the other man’s hand.

“Oh, praise the king our pleas have been answered for you surely are here to slay the dragon,” the violet eyed lad said with awe in his voice that made the albino’s smirk widen.

“Ja, the king knew this beast was quite formidable so he has sent me his most awesome of knights to rescue your village,” the prideful knight boasted placing his hands on his hips and raising his chin to strike what he deemed as a heroic pose.

“Sir knight we are most grateful for your aid. Please go into the tavern and ask for my brother, Eduard. Once he meets you he will see that you have our finest room and a meal fit for a hero. I will see to your valiant steed,” the excitable villager said with a bow before he quickly led Gilbert’s horse to the stables.

“I like this place. They know how to treat someone as awesome as me,” the proud knight said. With his ego thoroughly stroked and inflated the albino knight swaggered into the tavern. He found himself standing in a fair sized bar with several tables set in the center of the space and no other decoration. The bar was empty since it was midday and all the men were at the lumber mill.

To his left there were stairs that led to the second story where the rooms for rent were. To his right could be found the bar that the silver haired man could see was rather well stocked. At the far end of the bar a door could be found that must have lead to a kitchen.

Behind the bar, the knight saw a man about his height with shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes set behind rectangular glasses. With a cocky strut to his steps the ruby eyed man made his way to the bar and took as seat at one of the stools.

“I was told by Raivis to ask for Eduard,” Gilbert said as he leaned one elbow on the bar with his head resting in his hand. The blonde paused in wiping the glass in his hand and quirked an eyebrow.

“I’m Eduard and you are?” the bartender, Eduard, queried. The knight grinned leaning back and puffing out his chest.

“Sir Gilbert Beilschmidt, awesome knight of the realm,” the albino said with a cocky smirk. Eduard stared at the knight for a moment unimpressed, and then returned to cleaning his glass. The prideful man was instantly incensed by the nonchalant attitude of the bartender.

“Hey! Didn’t you hear me?!” the knight barked with a growl. The barman continued to casually clean his glassware.

“Yes, sir knight, I heard you just fine. I am just not impressed with those who have delusions of grandeur. The other knights behaved just as you do and, well, we saw what became of them,” the blue eyed blonde said with a cool demeanor.

Anger swelled within the albino. How could this man speak so coldly about the men who had sacrificed their lives attempting to protect him and his sorry village? This arseloch had a pair on him. Thoroughly pissed off, Gilbert reached across the bar and grabbed the other man’s shirt drawing him forward so their faces were meters apart.

“Listen here, you like prick. I didn’t know those knights that came before me, but you will show respect for their station. They laid down their lives to protect this village and I’ll be damned before I’ll listen to any disrespect. Have I made myself clear?” the ruby eyed man stated menacingly as his eyes glared into cool blue. To the albino’s surprise instead of the man cowering and spewing apologies he smiled.

“Well done sir knight you have passed my little test,” Eduard said calmly as he reached up and pried the other man’s hand from his shirt front.

“What?” the pale skinned knight asked in confusion as he watched the other straighten his attire and take a step back.

“I like to test the merit of the knights that come to our village and you, sir, have passed with flying colors,” the barman said as he returned to cleaning his glassware.

“Please, start making sense,” the confused knight said and rubbed at his left temple.

“First, let me apologize if I offended you. I have much respect for the knights of the realm. It takes brave men to do what you do. However, I have met a few who are less than honorable and do not care to have that kind of man in my establishment. Your reaction to my cold words shows you are an honorable man with much respect for your station and comrades. I thank you, good knight, for coming to our aid and offer you all of my hospitality,” Eduard said with a slight bow to the other man.

Ego bolstered Gilbert grinned widely and leaned casually on the bar.

“I’m glad to have my awesomeness recognized. Now if I could get a bed, a beer, and a meal I would be most grateful,”

* * *

 

The next day found Gilbert on a well worn trail heading to the northern mountain range feeling quite rejuvenated. He’d had an amazing meal with decent beer and conversation with some of the locals the night prior. While he had a good nights sleep in a warm, soft bed the lack of another warm body had slightly irritated him. Apparently, there were no brothels in North Ameland which surely had to be a crime.

Apart from that small matter, the albino found he liked the village. It was quaint and the people were very nice.

‘Maybe once I retire from knighthood I could settle here?’ the knight mused to himself, but quickly shifted that thought to the back of his mind. It would be many years before he retired and right now he had a quest to complete.

As he guided his horse along the path he found himself coming upon a fork in the road. The left path led to an incline that went up into the range. The right stayed along the base of the mountains and the edge of the forest.

Thinking back on the conversation he had the previous evening with Raivis he tried to recall which path the blonde had told him to take. The purple eyed man had said that the attacks had started after the loggers had gotten too close to the beasts layer. 

Eyeing both paths the knight decided that it had to be the right path. There was no reason for the workers to go up into the range so the logical choice was the path along the forest. With a tug on the reins and a nudge to the animal’s flank the silver haired man guided his steed to the right.

“Prepare yourself dragon for your awesome doom approaches,” the albino said with a chuckle.

* * *

 

Matthew sat outside his cave enjoying the succulent deer he had killed that morning. While he now (thanks to Arthur) preferred his meat to be cooked, without Alfred there to start a fire for him he had to eat it raw. He held one of the creatures flanks by its lower half and took a large bite. He quickly swallowed the morsel and opened his maw to take another bite when he heard the clip-clop of approaching hooves.

Little alarm bells went off in the dragon’s head and he quickly set down his meal. Moving quickly the violet beast dug his claws into the mountain face and climbed up to the outcropping above his cave. Hunkering low the cautious reptile crept to the edge of the rock and looked over the edge as the hoof beats drew ever closer.

Several minutes later a lone rider entered the little clearing on a large black horse. The rider was clad in full armor with the emblem of a great black eagle emblazoned on his breast plate. His head was covered and the sun glinted off his silvery helm. Matthew sighed and rolled his eyes at the sight of the man now in his clearing.

‘Great, another knight. Just what I need today,’ the periwinkle dragon thought as he shifted to stand and tell the knight he had no desire to fight. Slowly, the purple eyed reptile climbed down the rock face. Just as he was righting himself at the foot of the cave an arrow whizzed just past his right eye.

“Hey!” the surprised creature cried out and recoiled backward.

“I see you beast skulking like a coward. Come forward and face me head on or my next arrow will not miss,” the knight shouted at Matthew. Typically, Matthew is very level headed and calm. However, being attacked completely unprovoked did tend to rub him the wrong way.

“Hey, hoser!” the violet creature shouted back with a glower. “I’ve done nothing to warrant you attacking me. So do me a favor and piss off. I’m not in the mood for this crap today,”

The lithe beast shifted to enter his cave intent on finishing his meal, but came up short when another arrow sailed dangerously close to his head.

“You’ve done nothing to warrant an attack? I beg to differ monster. There are a good number of bodies laid to rest in the nearby town that you are credited with killing,” the knight said as he drew another arrow from his quiver and notched it.

“Wait? What? I’ve never killed any humans,” the confused dragon queried as he dodged another arrow that was shot at him.

“Liar! How many purple dragons can there be in this forsaken land? Now be a good beast and let me kill you already,” the pale man declared as he released another projectile this time aiming for the soft underside of his opponent’s neck.

“Enough with the arrows already!” Matthew cried as he dodged yet another arrow. Realizing that this man could not be reasoned with the periwinkle reptile made a quick decision. Moving rapidly the dragon dug his talons into the rock face and climbed up to his earlier perch. He felt several arrows bounce off his granite like scales as he made his ascent, but the volleys stopped once he reached the safety of the outcropping.

“Coward!” the silver helmed man shouted angrily and dismounted. The gold fringed lizard watched with a grin from his perch as the knight stormed over to the cave. The man examined the rock wall and then began to climb.

“That isn’t the wisest idea,” Matthew said with an underlying note of concern in his voice. He didn’t really give a care about the knight, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see him hurt if he fell.

“Silence, beast. If you did not behave so cowardly I would not have to do this,” the angry man barked out as he continued to carefully make his way up the wall.

“Wishing to preserve my life is not cowardly. Especially since I am not guilty of killing anyone,” the violet dragon argued and glowered at the ascending man. The knight scoffed.

“Please, it has to be you. As I said before how many massive, purple scaled, silver fringed dragons can there be in one area. No, my reptilian adversary you are the beast I seek,”

The knight eyed the rock face for his next handhold and realized something. The punctures from the dragon’s claws made perfect holds and led directly to his target. If he followed these tracks he would reach the monster in no time.

“Silver? If you hadn’t noticed my fringe is gold and compared to most dragons I’m on the smaller side. Maybe if you had stopped to think for a moment you would have realized you have the wrong dragon,” the purple creature groused indignantly as his thoughts drifted off. There had been another dragon in that area who was silver and purple, but he had left long ago. Hadn’t he?

Matthew was drawn out of his thoughts be the sound of footsteps approaching him. His violet eyes grew wide as he realized the knight had reached his outcropping.

“I have you now monster,” the knight said in pre-emptive triumph as he charged at the dragon with his sword drawn. 

Matthew barely had time to draw back as the sword swung upward in an arch that would have tore open his throat. A deep growl rolled up from deep within his chest and smoke seeped out between his bared teeth.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” the amethyst lizard growled as he backed further to the edge of the outcropping dodging another swing of his combatant’s sword. 

“That’s funny because I do want to hurt you,” the silver helmed man said with a smirk as he feinted to the right only to pivot his stance and sweep his sword to the left. A pained roar escaped from Matthew as the sword bit into the underside of his right shoulder where his scales were softer. The wound was not deep or life threatening, but it still hurt like a bitch.

Through the pain all the usually docile dragon could see was red and his instincts took over. Reason and empathy abandoned Matthew and he swung his body around in a circular motion. His tail swept around like a massive whip. This action surprised the knight and he had no time to react as the appendage caught him full force in the torso. Upon impact he felt his ribs crack and his body sailed backward. Excruciating pain seared through his entire body as he slammed into the rock face. While his helm protected his head some the impact still knocked the man into unconscious almost instantly. 

The knight crumpled into a heap and moved no more. Still enraged the violet dragon advanced on the man. He raised his claw to bring the killing blow, but paused when he saw a small pool of blood forming under the knight’s head.

Panic quickly overtook the large reptile and he lowered his claw. He nudged the unmoving man with his snout and when there was no response anguish over took him.

“I’ve killed him. Oh sweet maple trees I’ve killed him. What do I do?” Matthew muttered in despair backing away slightly. Doing the only thing he could think of he roared out a call that he knew would bring his brother almost instantly.


	3. Chapter 3

When Gilbert awoke the first thing he registered was that he hurt. A lot. Everywhere. His head and chest seemed to be where most of the pain centered as a took a mental evaluation of his body.

'What the Hell happened?' the pale knight thought as he tried to recall what had happened to bring him to this sorry state. He had traveled to the village and had set out on his mission. He followed a trail that led to a clearing. The image of a massive beast with murder in its violet eyes suddenly flashed across his memory.

Panicked, the albino moved to sit up, but pain tore through his body like fire making him fall back instantly. His breath coming in small pants.

"You have to lie still or you'll aggravate your ribs," a gentle voice said and the most beautiful face the knight had ever seen came into his hazy field of vision. Pale shoulder length blonde hair framed a soft round face. Pale pink lips were drawn tight with concern that reflected in the most gorgeous amethyst eyes. When those jewel like eyes connected with his own the knight felt a surge of electricity course through his entire body and he felt as if his heart would burst from his chest.

"I must be dead," the ruby eyed knight rasped from lack of use and his throat felt extremely dry.

"W-what makes you say that?" the beauty asked softly. Those amazing eyes full of worry and confusion.

"Because only an angel could be as beautiful as you, liebling," the knight said with a slight grin as those violet eyes widened and a pale blush colored the cheeks beneath them. The angel pulled back quickly escaping Gilbert's line of vision.

"I...I'm no angel. I'm more like a monster," the beautiful one said with sadness lacing each word. The albino opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped when he heard someone else enter the room.

"Ah, Matthew, there you are. How is our patient today?" a deeper masculine voice asked just as another face appeared before Gilbert. His ruby eyes grew wide as he took in the other man's face. More accurately the massive eyebrows set above the man's bright green eyes.

"Eyebrows," the silver haired man murmured without thought. This instantly made the other man scowl darkly and disappear from his line of sight.

"Always my damn eyebrows. They are not that large," the angry man muttered the sound of his angry foot falls indicating that he had left the bedside.

A soft chuckle like the chime of a bell sounded to the prone man's right. Turning his head gingerly he found his angel sitting on a stool next to the bed he was lying on. The small smile that spread upon that lovely face made the injured man's heart flutter.

"Matthew? That's your name? I suits you," Gilbert asked drawing the beautiful man's attention. The happy light in the blonde's eyes dimmed to one of guilt and his smile fell.

"Yes," was all the response the violet eyed man offered and that bugged the albino.

"That sad look does not suit you. Angels should never be sad,"

"I already told you that I am not an angel," Matthew said coolly as he rose from his seat. "Arthur is mixing your medicine. I'll go and fetch you some water,"

With that the lovely blonde disappeared from sight and was replaced by the other man, who Gilbert figured must be Arthur.

"All right, lad, we're going to have to sit you up so I can change your bandages. I'll also check to see if my elixirs and balms are doing their jobs," the bushy browed man said as he slid a bracing arm beneath the knight's shoulders. Bracing against the pain the silver haired man slowly sat up. His breathing was slightly erratic as he fought through the agony he was in.

"Matthew will be back shortly with water so we can give you something for the pain. Try to bare with me. I'll be as quick as I can," the green eyed man said reassuringly as he set to work removing the bandage around the knights head.

Now that he was upright and a bit more coherent Gilbert took in his surroundings. He found he was in what appeared to be a small inner chamber of a cave. He faced the entrance of the chamber and noticed many sconces attached to the wall as the only source of light. The bed he was in was large and sat in the center of the room. It seemed to be the only item in the large space other than a small table to the right of the bed. The table was covered in herbs, bottle, and other such paraphernalia.

"How long have I been out? Where am I?" the injured knight asked as he felt Arthur probe the back of his head and sucked a sharp breath through his teeth.

"You've been unconscious for ten days. Some of that was my doing to stabilize you after Matthew found you," the smaller man explained.

"He found me?" the knight asked in confusion. Why hadn't the dragon finished him off?

"Yes, lad and it's a lucky thing too. You were lying in the clearing outside our home. Now brace yourself. I have to rub some balm onto this head wound and it is going to hurt," the sandy blonde said barely giving Gilbert time to brace before pressing on his injured flesh. A small cry of pain escaped the albino as the balm was applied and burned slightly.

"Verdammt," the pale knight cursed. "Why is it that you live in a cave?"

The green eyed man hesitated for but a moment before he began to re-wrap the knight's head.

"Our family would not be welcome in any village. We're a bit abnormal for most people's sensibilities,"

"Abnormal?" the albino queried as the other man finished wrapping his head and then he felt the bandages around his ribs loosen.

"Yes, well I'm a wizard which in and of itself is not strange. However, I have a rather...harsh reputation. Matthew and his brother, Alfred, are…well not exactly human," Arthur explained as he began applying balm to the injured man's ribs. Gilbert opened his mouth to ask what the other men could possibly be, but snapped it shut when he saw Matthew return.

Now that he could see all of the blonde, the albino was even more convinced he was an angel. Those he was clothed in baggy tan trousers and a loose white shirt, Gilbert could tell Matthew's body was lean. His lithe form moved with other worldly grace on legs that went for miles and feet that were bare. The knight judged that if he were to stand he would be the same height if not a hair taller than the man he was currently infatuated with.

The injured man stared unabashedly at his angel as he approached and handed him a cup of water.

"Thank you, Angel," the albino said with a wink as accepted the glass.

"I've told you twice now that I am not an angel," the lemon blonde said with an icy edge, yet his eyes betrayed his words. They became a dark melancholy plum hue.

"Lift your arms slightly, lad. I need to wrap your ribs," Arthur directed and Gilbert complied. "Matthew, be a dear and mix some of the powder in my mortar into his drink. It will help with the pain,"

The graceful young man swiftly took the knights drink and did as instructed. He returned moments later offering the glass to the older man. The albino accepted the beverage, but made sure to caress the blonde fingers. The slight blush that dusted his pale skin was utterly adorable to the knight. Gilbert took a tentative sip of the beverage and found it had a pleasant honey flavor. He began to swallow it greedily.

"You'll need to drink the entire glass. The mixture will lessen the pain, but will also put you to sleep," the green eyed man explained as he finished his care and took the glass. "You can lay back now,"

Gingerly, the injured man lay back into the plush mattress beneath him. His eyes never once having left Matthew. Making the younger man shift uncomfortably.

"Will you still be here when I wake up?" Gilbert asked with a teasing twinkle in his eyes as his eyelids grew heavy. The pale blonde rolled his eyes.

"Yes," he said curtly and moved to leave the room.

"Gilbert," Matthew paused and looked back at the albino.

"What?" he queried.

"Gilbert. It's my awesome name. Thought you should know," the knight explained as his eyes drifted shut. The tiniest of smiles crept onto Matthew's face as he looked at the sleeping man.

"Gilbert," he said and liked how the name rolled off his tongue.

* * *

That evening Matthew sat at the mouth of the cave staring up at the starry sky. His mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions. He had gotten so lost in his own head that he didn't notice when Alfred approached him.

"Piece of gold for your thoughts," the wheat blonde asked as he carefully lowered himself to sit next to his brother. His swollen midsection making the task rather difficult and he grunted in discomfort. The lemon blonde drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. He looked dejectedly at his sibling.

"I'm sorry you have to stay in human form and sneak around the cave," the young man said sadly.

"It's okay, bro. Not like it's going to kill me," the cheery man said and placed a friendly hand on the smaller man's shoulder.

"This is all such a mess," Matthew said with a groan as he pressed his face into his hands.

"It's not as bad as you think, Matt. In a couple more weeks he'll be out of our scales," the azure eyed man said with a casual wave of his hand.

"I don't think it's going to be that simple, Al," the defeated blonde said while he shook his head in despair. Alfred looked at his brother with a mix of confusion and worry in his blue eyes.

"What makes you say that, Mattie?"

"Al, I think…I think that the knight, Gilbert," Matthew swallowed down the lump in his throat. "I think we may have imprinted on each other,"

The blue eyed blonde jerked back like he'd been slapped. That was the last thing he had ever expected his brother to say. Dragons only imprinted when they had found their life-mate. The ash blonde knew first hand about imprinting and if Matthew had imprinted then things just got a whole lot more complicated.

"Are...Are you sure?" Alfred stuttered his eyes blown wide in surprise.

"Well I don't know, Al. I've never imprinted before," the irritated man snapped with a glower.

"Oh...Right...Sorry. Well tell me what happened," the honey blonde said sheepishly and rested his hands on top of his rounded mid section.

"When he woke up and our eyes met it was like...it was like electricity coursed through my veins. I couldn't breath. I couldn't think. I felt like my heart was going to beat it's way out of my ribcage. I had this weird feeling of completeness," Matthew said wistfully as a sweet smile graced his lips and his violet eyes glossed over dreamily.

"Oh, you've got it bad," Alfred chuckled as he looked at his lovestruck brother. The happy look quickly melted from the other man's face as he turned an angry gaze onto his sibling.

"This is no joke, Al. He tried to kill me when we first met and I damn near killed him. He is a knight and I am a dragon," the lemon blonde buried his face into his knees. "It will never work out,"

The azure eyed blonde shifted closer to his brother and wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulder.

"We'll figure this out. Don't give up without trying first. It was no picnic for me and Artie. Love takes work," the honey blonde gave Matthew a loving squeeze. "Don't worry, Mattie. Arthur and I will be here to help you,"

Slowly, the periwinkle eyed man lifted his head and gave the other man the tiniest of hopeful smiles.

"Thanks, Alfie. You know somedays I'm actually happy you're my brother," Matthew said teasingly.

"Rude," Alfred said and shoved his brother off of the rock they were sitting on.


	4. Chapter 4

When next Gilbert woke he was pleased to find that the pain in his body had lessened. He still hurt like Hell, but it was not nearly as intense. The next thing he noticed was that someone was in the room with him and they were singing. It was the most beautiful sound the knight had ever heard. It reminded him of birdsong.

He opened his ruby eyes slowly and was greeted with a sight that made his heart flip. His angel was standing just off to his right at a small table setting out what looked like medicinal items. His back was toward the injured man and hips swayed unconsciously to the rhythm of the song he was singing. The albino couldn't make out the words he was saying, but he could tell it was a love song.

The silver haired man lay watching the movement of those narrow hips in rapt pleasure. He wondered what it would be like to have his hands wrapped firmly around those hips. To have those long, slender legs entwined with his own and those lips. Those rose petal pink lips would be so soft and delicious to kiss.

Gilbert was torn from his lovely daydream by a sudden gasp. Matthew had turned and started when he found the knight staring at him rather contently. This made the cocky man smirk.

"You keep telling me you aren't an angel. Yet you sing like one and always seem to be guarding over me," the ruby eyed knight teased. The lemon blonde rolled his eyes.

"I'm not an angel," he muttered as he turned back to the small table and hid the slight blush on his cheeks. "How are you feeling today?"

Gilbert was becoming a bit annoyed with the constant self deprecation from his beautiful savior.

"Like a horse trampled me rather than a dragon," the albino replied with slight irritation in his voice as his eyes focused again on Matthew's hips.

"Well, I guess that is some improvement. Do you think you can sit up on your own? I need to check your wounds and apply more balm," the violet eyed man queried as he again turned to face the injured man.

Without responding the stubborn knight carefully lifted himself into a sitting position. He smirked triumphantly at the blonde even as he panted slightly from the exertion. Matthew rolled his eyes unimpressed and walked to the side of the bed. He had fresh bandages in one hand and a bottle of balm in the other.

The bed dipped under his weight as Matthew climbed atop it resting on his knees. He set aside his items and reached up to the bandages around Gilbert's head. Gentle hands worked swiftly to remove the covering to reveal silver hair. The blonde fought the urge to run his fingers through the downy locks. He really loved the unique color.

The periwinkle eyed man mentally chastised himself and focused back on his task. He softly prodded at the greatly diminished lump on the knight's head and smiled.

"Your head wound is nearly healed. We'll have to make sure there aren't any lingering effects from the blow later on. At least we won't have to keep bandaging your head now," the pale blonde said as he reached for the bottle of balm and uncorked it. He poured a small amount into his hand and re-corked the bottle. With light pressure he liberally applied the healing cream to the injured area.

"Does that mean I'll be able to get out of this bed? I swear I can feel my body atrophying," Gilbert asked as he unconsciously pressed into Matthew's touch. The small action did not go unnoticed by the violet eyed man.

"Baby steps," Matthew chastised as he lowered his hand to the albino's displeasure. "Lift your arms a bit so I can check your ribs,"

The albino did as he was told and a shiver ran down his spine as the blonde's gentle hands feathered over his skin. The bandages loosened, but the knight's breath hitched as the other man's slender arms encircled him to unwrap the gauze.

'Pure thoughts, Gil. Puppies, babies, angels with blonde hair. NO!' the pale man thought as he tried to control his growing desire. 'Okay bad thoughts: the king, Ludwig in a dress, purple bastard dragons,'

A new desire filled the knight as he thought of the beast that had put him in this state. Rage and embarrassment filled his chest as his teeth ground together. Once he was healed that dragon was a goner. He'd skin him and use his hide to decorate his home. The creature would know no mercy from him.

The mattress shifted beneath Gilbert bringing him out of his thoughts. To his surprise, Matthew was now crouched before him working a knot out of his bandages. He was muttering to himself about how Arthur managed to knot bandages and didn't notice the knight staring at him.

With a triumphant laugh the blonde managed to untangle the gauze and pulled it away from the other man's chest. He slowly straightened and found his face was only a few meters from the albino's. Their eyes locked and they both froze in place.

Matthew could feel his breath mingle with Gilbert's they were so close. The smell of hops, cornflowers, and something uniquely Gilbert invaded his nasal passages. The violet eyed man nearly drooled with how good the other smelled. He wanted to bury his nose into the crux of the knight's shoulder and drink in his scent. Unconsciously, the lemon blonde leaned forward closing the space between the pair and his eyes slowly fell shut.

"Matthew?" Arthur's voice rang out breaking the spell of the moment when the pair were but a hair's breadth apart. The slighter man pulled back sharply.

"In here, Arthur," the purple eyed man responded as he climbed off the bed and moved toward the chamber entrance.

"Ah, there you are," the wizard said appearing in the doorway. "Could you please go see to Alfred? He's in one of his moods,"

"Of course. Could you finish checking up on Gilbert, please?" Matthew said as he quickly moved past his brother in-law not waiting for a response. Arthur looked after the pale blonde in concern and then turned steely eyes on the knight.

Acid green eyes connected with ruby as the sandy blonde moved toward the bed.

"What did you do to upset him?" the smaller man asked as he quickly examined the knight none too gently.

"Nothing," Gilbert replied indignantly and winced slightly at the rough ministrations.

"Really? Then why was he so flustered when he left?" Arthur asked as he began applying balm to the knight's ribs.

"Probably, because he just tried to jump my bones. He can't resist my awesomeness," the knight said cockily with an arrogant smirk.

Suddenly, the wizard's hand shot up and took hold of Gilbert's neck. The knight could feel the energy of the other's magic swirling around him and began to choke him.

"Now listen here you, bastard. That boy is very dear to me and I will not see you mock him," Magic coils tightened to further constrict the albino's breathing. "For reasons you cannot understand he cares for you greatly. Having affection and a bond with another is very important to his kind. So you had best not harm him in anyway. I was a very bad man before his brother captured my heart. So watch yourself,"

Arthur released Gilbert and stepped away from the bed. He snapped his fingers and the bandages wrapped around the knight's torso on their own. A bit too tightly for the knight's liking.

Gilbert coughed and gulped in air as he massaged his neck.

"Hey Eyebrows," the ruby eyed man called out to the retreating figure of the wizard. The blonde paused in his departure and looked over his shoulder only quirking an eyebrow in response.

The silver haired man really wanted to say something smarmy to piss the other man off. He didn't take to kindly to being threatened, but knew he was in no position to do so. Instead, he decided to focus on the one thing that had been nagging at the back of his mind.

"That's twice now you've mentioned Matthew isn't human. Care to explain?" the knight questioned as he glowered at the smaller man.

"No, that is Matthew's business to tell," Arthur said as he swiftly swept from the room.

Gilbert sighed in exasperation and gently lay back into the mattress.

"Great the guy I'm into has a cryptic, psychopath for a brother in-law," the albino groused as he closed his eyes. The memory of the near kiss instantly filled his mind and he gently ghosted his fingers over his lips.

'I bet he tastes sweeter than honey,' the knight mused as he slowly dozed off with images of amethyst eyes, long legs, and pink lips filling his dreams.

* * *

"Gilbert, wake up," a gentle voice crooned in the knight's ear drawing him slightly from his slumber. He was mildly irritated about being pulled from his dreams. It had been a really good one too with long legs wrapped around his hips and violet eyes half lidded with desire.

"Go away," Gilbert grumbled and snuggled further into his pillow. All he wanted was to get back to the angel he had left as a quivering bundle of lust.

"Oh, I don't think so. Now get up," the voice said sternly and suddenly the albino was accosted by a sudden rush of cold air. Ruby eyes snapped wide at the abrupt loss of heat and focused on his tormentor. Matthew stood at the base of the bed with the sheets firmly held in his hands grinning widely.

"Good. Now that you're up you can get some exercise," the lemon blonde chirped as he dropped the sheets and walked over to the small table. He grabbed a bundle of cloth that lay on the tabletop and threw it at the knight.

The bundle landed on the bed next to Gilbert as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. Looking at the projectile he realized it was a shirt and trousers. His ruby eyes looked questioningly up at the lemon blonde.

"You and Alfred are roughly about the same size so I borrowed some of his clothing for you to wear," Matthew explained as he crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his bare foot impatiently.

The knight lifted tan shirt and began pulling it over his head.

"Will I be meeting dear Alfred so I may thank him for the loaning of his attire?"

"No, he and Arthur are out at the moment," the pale blonde stated simply.

"I'm starting to think this brother of yours is a figment of you and Eyebrow's imagination," the silver haired man teased as he slide gingerly to the edge of the bed and began tugging on the borrowed brown trousers.

"Here let me help you up," Matthew said and offered a hand to the other man. Gilbert took hold of the smaller man with one hand and held onto his pants with the other. He hissed in slight pain as he rose to his feet. He crumpled slightly from not having been on his feet in weeks, but managed to stay mostly up right with Matthew's help.

"Brace yourself on my shoulder and I'll fasten your pants," the violet eyed man said as he cautiously released the knight. Once he was certain that the albino was stable his hands swiftly moved to the other man's clothing and fastened it snuggly.

"This is a first for me," the knight said with a chuckle. Curious violet eyes looked up into mischievous red.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Usually someone as lovely as you would be helping me  _out_  of my pants," Gilbert said with a smirk and lascivious wink. A crimson blush came over Matthew all the way up to his ears and his gaze quickly darted anywhere other than the man before him.

"L-let's get to th-that exercise, s-shall we?" the lemon blonde stammered as she shifted his body under the silver haired man's arm to lend him support. "Y-you can lean on m-me until you feel strong on your feet,"

'If he was any cuter I swear it would rot my teeth,' the pale knight thought as he took a few tentative steps with the smaller man's help. Gilbert could feel his strength returning rather quickly and could have easily walked on his own. However, he rather liked having Matthew so very, very close to him and thusly pretended to be weak as a kitten.

As they walked the knight was able to finally see more of his temporary 'home'. Once they had exited his chamber he could see his was the one farthest from the cave entrance. Sconces dotted the walls of the hall to light the cave when the sun went down. There were two other chambers in the cavern. The one on the right had a green curtain draped across its entrance. The one next door to his own had a red curtain.

"Is the red one yours?" Gilbert asked breaking the silence and startling Matthew.

"What? Oh, yes. That is my chamber," the lemon blonde responded glancing up at the other man, but quickly trained his eyes forward again. "How did you know?"

"I've noticed that Eyebrow's is partial to green," the larger man said with a grin.

"That's because it's Al's favorite color for obvious reasons. He burnt all of Arthur's shirts that weren't green. Arthur was so pissed. He is such a sap though because he forgave Al when the hoser said that and I quote: 'Green makes your eyes sparkle like emeralds'. Is that not the corniest thing you have ever heard?" Matthew said before he burst into a fit of laughter.

"Are you serious? I can't believe it. All his threats are null and void after hearing that," the albino said unable to contain his own laughter. Pain seared through the knight's chest at the sudden jolts of laughter. Gilbert cried out in pain and clutched his free arm around his torso.

Matthew stiffened and turned concerned eyes on the knight.

"Gilbert, what's wrong? Here sit down," the pale blonde said anxiously and guided the larger man over to a rock at the mouth of the cave. The silver haired man cautiously lowered himself into a sitting position and rested against the cave wall. He took several slow, deep breathes and waited for the pain to ebb.

The smaller man hovered over him nervously. He had no idea what to do and Arthur was unreachable. His worry quickly dissipated when he saw the knight relax and give him a small grin.

"Note to self. Laughter is good for the soul, but not broken ribs," the ruby eyed man said with a little chuckle. Matthew heaved a grateful sigh and slumped onto the rock beside the other man.

"That was utterly terrifying," the blonde man said running a hand through his hair and looked at Gilbert from the corner of his eye. "So what was that about Arthur threatening you?"

"Hm," the albino hummed. "Yeah, something about he'd kill me if I hurt you,"

"What? When did this happen?" Matthew asked as he shifted himself to face the other man.

"Yesterday right after you tried to kiss me," the arrogant knight replied with a smirk.

"I didn-" the blonde was cut off when Gilbert shot forward and captured his lips with his own.

At first Matthew was too surprised to respond, but quickly recovered and melted into the kiss. Electricity coursed between them and spurred them forward. The pale man ran his tongue along Matthew's lower lip asking for entrance as his hand slid up to the nape of the blonde's neck. The slighter man was all too happy to comply.

Gilbert invaded the smaller man's mouth and dominated it. Their tongues danced together in an age old dance of give and take. When they finally parted they were breathless.

Something deep, primal, and possessive slowly took over Matthew as he opened his eyes drinking in Gilbert. I wanted to possess this man. Mark him and claim him as his own.

The sudden urge spurred the blonde forward and he buried his face into the crux of the knight's shoulder and neck. His teeth and tongue assaulted the tender flesh leaving a deep purple bruise. Just as the periwinkle eyed man opened his mouth to bury his teeth into that delectable shoulder to mark him he found himself being pressed back.

"Whoa there now. Normally I would be all for this, but we can't," the knight said as he struggled to press the smaller man away from him. How could Matthew be so strong?

Angry, confused purple eyes locked onto Gilbert and a deep growl sounded deep in the lemon blonde's throat.

"Matthew?" the injured knight queried cautiously. Was it him or were the smaller man's eyes glowing?

The worried tone of the other man's voice broke through the primal haze and slowly dissipated. Matthew closed his eyes and took a deep breath to compose himself. That was far too close.

"I'm sorry," the purple eyed blonde said climbing to his feet needing to put a bit of distance between them. He kept his back to the knight to hide his desire and shame.

"You want to talk about what just happened?" Gilbert pressed even though he sensed the tension in the blonde and gave him his physical space reluctantly. Silence stretched on for what felt like eternity before Matthew responded.

"Did...Did Arthur tell you anything about...what I am?" he wrapped an arm around himself nervously and rubbed absently at his other arm.

"The only thing he said, as he choked the life out of me..."

"He did what?!" the lemon blonde shouted as he whirled around to face the knight in utter shock. He was going to have a rather 'intense' discussion with the wizard when he returned and by 'intense' he meant Arthur was going to get acquainted with the back of his hand.

"Relax. It's not the first time something like that has happened to me and it probably won't be the last," the albino said with a chuckle as he absently rubbed at his throat. "As I was saying. He said your kind take caring for another very seriously"

"He makes it sound so simple," Matthew muttered and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Why don't you start by telling me what you are?" Gilbert suggested but instantly regretted it when he saw the smaller man go completely rigid. As quickly as he could with his injuries the knight rose to his feet and closed the distance between them.

The violet eyed blonde shrank back when the larger man moved to wrap him in his arms.

"You'll hate me. If I tell you what I am then you will hate me," Matthew said so quietly the knight almost didn't hear him. His red eyes locked with the smaller man's terrified purple ones and his heart ached.

"I could never hate you," the pale knight said as he again tried to take the other man into his arms. "I feel like there is some bond between us,"

"That's the problem," the pale blonde said as he again moved away from the knight. "When my kind meet the one who shares their soul they imprint with that person,"

Gilbert glowered at Matthew for continuing to avoid his embrace, but his expression quickly shifted to confusion at the unfamiliar term. Neither look went unnoticed by the slender man and he halted his retreat.

"You've heard of animal young imprinting on their mothers correct?" the knight nodded. "It is similar with my kind, but with their life-mate. Once we find that person we are bonded to them for life. There is no other for us," Matthew explained casting his eyes upon the ground.

"I'm not seeing the problem here," Gilbert said as he finally captured the blonde in his arms.

"The problem is that what you are feeling now is due to the imprinting. Once you know what I am you'll leave because as a human you have a choice," Matthew pressed his face into the knight's shoulder and clutched at his shirt in an effort to hold back the anguish in his heart. "When that happens I'll be alone...forever,"

The albino was getting really aggravated with all the secrecy and assumptions from the blonde. Matthew didn't know the first thing about Gilbert.

'And that's the really problem,' the silver haired man thought as realization washed over him and a plan formed in his mind. They needed to go get to know each other without the influence of the imprinting. The ruby eyed man took the other by the shoulders and held him at arm's length.

"Matthew, will you go out with me?"

"W-what?" the slighter man stuttered out in complete bewilderment and his eyes grew extremely wide. That was the last thing Matthew had expected when he felt himself being pushed away from the albino.

"Will you go out with me?" the pale man repeated with a large smirk on his face. Matthew was too freaking adorable.

"L-like courting?" the periwinkle eyed man asked needing clarification since he was still in shock.

"Yes, dummkopf. This way we can get to know each other like normal people. We'll forget about imprinting and that you aren't necessarily human. So what do you say?" Gilbert said with a hopeful glint in those vermilion eyes.

The lemon blonde felt his heart clench blissfully and a broad smile crept onto his face. He nodded fervently and embraced the knight as tightly as he could without hurting him. Would this man always be so full of surprises?


	5. Chapter 5

"Gilbert...I need...to breath…" Matthew gasped out between the onslaught of Gilbert's hungry kisses. The bark of the tree he was pressed against bit uncomfortably into him through his shirt. His slim hands were pressed against the knight's chest and tangled in his shirt front.

"Breathing...is...overrated," Gilbert responded as he continued to ravish the slender man he had captured between his arms and pressed against the tree trunk. He had been a perfect gentleman for the past five weeks as they had been courting and he finally had reached his limit.

It had been easy at first for them to fight their physical need for each other with tender caresses and chaste kisses since the albino was still healing. As he healed and time wore on though there had been more than one instance where they had nearly attacked each other with need. Thankfully, they had managed to calm themselves before things got too far.

Now though the silver haired knight was completely healed and could not restrain himself for another moment.

"Gil...we...Ah...need to stop," the violet eyed man panted as Gilbert trailed kisses along his jaw to his neck.

"I can't. Not this time, Birdie," the red eyed man said as he left a large purple bruise on the smaller man's collarbone. Matthew sighed in a mix of desire and annoyance. The combination of emotions made his head spin.

"We've...Mm...had this d-discussion. Maple! You...you know what...not stopping means," the blonde managed to stammer out as he shifted his head to expose more of his neck to his knight. Gilbert's fierce ministrations slowed as Matthew's words penetrated his sexual haze. He leaned back and locked his eyes with the other man's.

"Yes, and I'm ready if you are," the usually cocky man responded with an uncertain lilt to his voice. Matthew saw the weary, hopeful glint in those ruby orbs he loved so much and he felt his heart soar.

"All right," the lemon blonde said as he crushed his lips to the knight's.

Unadulterated bliss swept through Gilbert as he melted into the kiss and wrapped his arms around his lover. He pulled their forms away from the tree and guided Matthew down to the soft, grassy floor of the forest. He straddled the slender man's hips as his partner's back pressed into the earth.

His pale hands roved down the blonde's sides and captured the hem of Matthew's shirt. He tugged it upward and broke their kiss only long enough to remove the article. Now that there was more of the smaller man's delicious skin exposed Gilbert abandoned his lips to travel lower.

The knight trailed kisses along his jaw and down his neck. Sharp teeth nipped at the bruise that had been left earlier and made the purple eyed man's hips buck sharply with a wanton groan. The pale man smirked as his lips traveled down and captured a pert nipple between his teeth. Matthew mewled and writhed as Gilbert suckled and nipped at his chest. He moved from one nipple to the other lathing both with equal attention.

Matthew's slim fingers threaded into Gilbert's hair and tugged him back up into a deep kiss. His other hand snaked between their bodies and found the button of the albino's pants. As he struggled to unfasten the accursed apparel his hand brushed against the knight's hard member causing him to stiffen and hiss through his teeth.

"Eager aren't we?" the ruby eyed man purred as he swiftly captured both of Matthew's wrists and pinned them on either side of his head. "Well if your that impatient then let's get to the main event. Do not move,"

With that he released the smaller man's wrists and leaned back. His hands quickly moved to the waistband of the other man's trousers and unfastened them. In one motion he removed all of the blonde's remaining clothing.

Matthew hissed through his teeth as his warm member was exposed to the cool forest air. He watched as Gilbert rose in order to remove his own clothing. His cheeks flushed and he glanced away shyly as the pale man was now nude before him.

"You are so adorable," the knight said with a small chuckle as he again hovered above the smaller man and quickly captured his lips. A small gasp escaped the blonde as their members brushed against each other.

Slowly the primal part of Matthew's mind started to creep in and take control of him. His lips became more insistent and he urgently bucked his hips to gain friction against his aching cock. He needed more and he needed it now.

Gilbert couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face at the other man's urgency. He pressed a knee between Matthew's legs and his other leg quickly followed so that his hips were now between the violet eyed man's thighs.

In his hand he held a vial of oil he had brought along 'just in case'. He broke their kiss and leaned back so he could concentrate on what he needed to do. He pulled the stopper off of the vial and poured a liberal amount onto his fingers.

Gently he hitched one of Matthew's legs over his shoulder and placed a gentle kiss to his lover's inner thigh. He brought his hand to the violet eyed man's entrance and gently caressed the ring of muscle before pressing in the first digit.

The lemon blonde tensed at the initial intrusion and burning pain. Though he was not ignorant to the way of love making between men it did not make it less painful. Slowly his body relaxed and was replaced with a warming pleasure.

Wishing to help his lover enjoy himself Gilbert peppered hungry kisses along the blonde's inner thigh before pressing in the second finger. With the additional digit the albino began to seek out the periwinkle eyed man's sweet spot.

"GilbAH!" Matthew cried out as his prostate was brushed and he saw stars. The knight smirked and took the opportunity to add a third finger to his endeavor as he began to assault that blessed bundle of nerves.

The lemon blonde dug his fingers into the earth beneath him as he felt himself slowly tumble closer to ecstasy. His cock throbbed painfully and he knew he would not last much longer.

When the albino's fingers were abruptly removed the blonde nearly sobbed at the loss, but was silenced by a tender kiss.

While Matthew was distracted Gilbert lined himself up at the slender man's entrance and gently pressed in. A cry of discomfort escaped the purple eyed man and the knight froze allowing his lover to adjust to his girth.

Slender arms slid up and encircled the larger man's neck drawing him closer. The blonde buried his face into the pale man's shoulder and inhaled his scent. He relaxed almost instantly and his earlier urgency returned with interest.

"Gil, please move," Matthew whispered his warm breath sending a pleasurable shudder down the ruby eyed man's spine. Without further prompting Gilbert rocked his hips into Matthew at a gentle pace reveling in the tight warmth surrounding him. With each thrust he again sought out that wonderful little bundle of nerves that he knew would undo the smaller man.

He knew he had found it when a strangled cry escaped Matthew's kiss swollen lips. Invigorated by the lovely noises his lover made the knight picked up his pace and savagely struck the other's prostate with every thrust.

Rational thought and intelligence had long abandoned the lemon blonde and know only primal instinct ruled. He knew he was close to his release and an overwhelming desire to claim swept over him. As ecstasy coiled in his belly his eyes began to glow and turned reptilian. His canines became slightly longer as he prepared to mark this man as his mate.

A bestial cry escaped the blonde as a particularly strong thrust struck his prostate roughly and launched him over the edge. His entire body clenched and captured the albino in a vice like grip causing him to find his own release.

As Gilbert rode out the waves of his release the beast within Matthew took complete control and he sunk his teeth into the tender flesh of the knight's shoulder.

The pale man cried out as horrific pain coursed through his body. He struggled to free himself from the periwinkle eyed man's grasp, but the other man was unbelievably strong. As they struggled Gilbert found himself pinned to the ground on his back with the smaller man still attached to his shoulder.

Slowly, the blonde released his hold and gently lapped at the wound with his tongue. An odd tingling sensation quickly replaced the pain and somehow the larger man knew that his wound had been sealed shut. He lay completely still partly out of confusion and partly out of fear. He did not know what to expect as Matthew slowly sat back straddling the knight's hips.

His red eyes grew wide as he took in his lover's altered appearance. Glowing reptilian eyes looked at him in warm curiosity and elongated canines made the small smile on the blonde's face quite terrifying.

Suddenly, Matthew laid down atop Gilbert and nuzzled his head into the knight's chest. Soft purrs and happy chirps emanated from the smaller man further bewildering the albino.

Absently, he wrapped an arm around the man atop him and gently caressed his back. Just what exactly the Hell was Matthew and what had he gotten himself into?

* * *

The next day found Gilbert relaxing under the shade of a tree at the edge of the cave's clearing. Matthew and Arthur had left earlier in the day (much to the knight's ire) to acquire some supplies that the wizard needed. This left the knight to his own devices and the events of the day prior played over in his mind repeatedly.

He was confused and conflicted about his feelings toward Matthew. He loved the blonde man he had come to now, but the other side of that man he wasn't so sure about. Maybe if he knew what his lover was exactly he wouldn't be so torn about his feelings.

After they had returned to the cave Matthew had disappeared into his brother's room and had not come out until after the knight had gone to sleep. In the inter-medium this had left Gilbert with no other company than a rather disgruntled wizard glaring daggers at him. He had gone to bed rather angry that night and awoken in the same foul humor.

"Verdammt!" the albino cried in frustration as he rose to his feet aggressively and moved to the center of the clearing. Thinking was getting him nowhere and without the subject of his thoughts to confront he decided some physical activity would clear his head. He hadn't had a good workout since before his fight with the dragon and he did his best thinking when training.

* * *

He had just retrieved his sword from his chamber and was choosing a tree to assault when the sound of hoof beats caught his attention. Ducking into the shadows of the tree line the knight crouched and watched as a pair of riders cantered into the clearing. Cloaks covered their forms so that Gilbert could not tell if they were friend or foe.

Moving stealthily, the pale man circled behind the nearest rider and slunk up behind him on silent feet. Reaching up he took hold of the intruders cloak and jerked it downward with all his strength. This action took the rider by surprise, unbalancing him, and sending him tumbling to the ground.

The ruby eyed man was on him in an instant with a sword to his throat.

"Who are you and why have you come here?" Gilbert growled out with murderous intent in his eyes.

"Hold mon a...Gilbert?" the downed man queried his hands raised in a sign of surrender and his hood fell back to reveal his stubbly face.

"Francis!?" the knight exclaimed and pulled back in shock.

"Mi amigo, you are alive!" the other rider cried out in joy as he dismounted and dashed toward the pale knight. The rider's hood fell away to reveal the grinning face of Antonio.

"What are you two idiots doing here?" Gilbert asked with a glad chuckle as he rose to his feet and offered a hand to Francis.

"We are looking for you, mon ami," the blonde knight said as he took his friend's hand and also rose to his feet.

"Looking for me?" the albino questioned quirking a silvery eyebrow.

"Si, they said you had not returned from your mission and were presumed dead. We didn't believe them and came to find you," the tan knight said with his ever present grin and clapped the pale man on the shoulder.

"Their saying I'm dead?"

"Oui. Your petit frere was incensed and would have traveled with us if the king had not forbade it," the blue eyed man explained and clapped a hand on Gilbert's other shoulder.

This was a lot for Gilbert to take in. He opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a sudden scream of pain echoing from the cave. All eyes turned to the cave entrance in surprise.

"What was that?" Antonio asked looking to his friend for an explanation, but the albino was no longer there.

"Stay out of the cave," Gilbert called over his shoulder to his bewildered friends.

As soon as the knight had heard the pained cry he had sprinted toward the cave knowing it was his lover's ailing brother. It was never explained to him what malady Alfred had that kept him mostly bedridden, but he knew that Matthew would never forgive him if he didn't go to his brother's aid.

"Alfred, what's…" the words died on the knight's lips as he burst into the chamber and took in the sight before him.

Alfred lay atop his mattress curled around his swollen midsection. His skin was coated in a fine sheen of perspiration and his face was contorted in pain.

"A-Artie?" the wheat blonde stammered out through his gritted teeth and his eyes opened slightly to reveal glowing sapphire eyes. The pain and fear Gilbert saw in those eyes instantly snapped him back to reality. This was no time to freak out about a man being pregnant because, surprisingly, that was the only logical explanation the knight could come up with.

"No, Alfred. I'm Gilbert. It's nice to finally meet you," the albino said as he slowly approached the other man.

"Matt's mate," the dark blonde sighed and relaxed slightly. "Where's Artie? I need my mate,"

"He'll be back soon. Until then I'll take care of you," the knight said soothingly. "What do you need?"

"I need...hng...to ch-change form, but...ow...I don't w-want...gah...to r-ruin the bed," the cerulean eyed man panted and whimpered as he made an attempt to sit up only to collapse back onto the mattress.

"All right, where do you want to move to?" Gilbert asked as he gently took hold of the pained man and pulled him to the edge of the bed.

"The...antechamber has...e-enough room," Alfred panted as he swung his legs off of the bed and forced himself to stand. The silver haired knight slung one of the wheat blonde's arms over his shoulders and wrapped a supportive arm around his waist.

"We'll take it slow," the albino said in a firm gentle tone as the pair slowly made their way to the antechamber.

To Gilbert's great dismay when they entered the larger chamber he found his friends waiting with swords drawn. He felt Alfred stiffen at his side.

"Gilbert, who...are these men?" the azure eyed man asked confusion evident on his face and a growl rumbled in his chest.

"It's okay, Alfred. These are just some friends of mine," the knight explained and waved to the others to lower their weapons.

"Friends?" the wheat blonde said incoherently as his eyes became glossy.

"Oui, monsieur. We were worried about Gilbert and have come to take him home," Francis said as he wearily lowered his sword. He did not like the looks of this...man?

"Take?" Alfred growled and gnashed his elongating teeth. His primal side was slowly making his body transform.

"Don't forget about killing that pesky dragon. He killed two travelers just yesterday," Antonio chimed in cheerily though it did not reflect in his eyes that were trained on Alfred and his grip on his sword only tightened.

Something snapped in Alfred at the mention of killing dragons. His mind was addled from pain and primal instinct and in that moment his instinct of protect kicked into overdrive.

Intense heat radiated off of the dark blonde and Gilbert had to release him for fear of being scorched. He stared in awe and terror as his lover's brother slowly changed before his eyes.

"You will not take Mattie's mate away and you will most certainly not harm my family!" Alfred roared as a wall of fire enveloped him and when they died away in his place was a large sapphire blue and gold dragon. The massive beast stomped a clawed foot and roared making all the men present step back in fear.

"What the Hell?" the pale knight murmured unable to process what he had just seen. If Alfred is a dragon did that mean...?

"Gilbert! We have to fall back to the clearing or we'll be baked alive in here," Francis cried as he and Antonio quickly backed out of the cave swords at the ready. Alfred stalked after the retreating knights' intent on destroying the threat to his family.

Gilbert swiftly dashed after them. He had to protect his friends. All of them.

Once in the clearing Antonio and Francis had flanked on either side of Alfred and took turns striking at the dragon. The blue dragon was doing his best to avoid the attacks.

Rushing forward, Gilbert grabbed Francis' arm preventing him from striking at Alfred.

"Mon ami, what are you…?"

"Stop attacking. He's scared and in pain. We need to let him calm down so we can figure this out," the albino cried as he held fast to his friend's arm. Determined ruby locked with confused blue for but a moment before the blonde seceded.

"All right," Francis said as he slowly relaxed his arms. Gilbert sighed in relief, but doubled over in pain when his friend elbowed him sharply in his diaphragm. The knight turned questioning eyes up toward his friend.

"Do not worry, mon ami. We will slay this beast and release you from its bewitchment," the blonde cried as he charged forward. The sudden action took Alfred by surprise and he had no time to avoid the strike. Francis sword sunk into the soft underside of the dragon's left shoulder and he roared in agony. The cerulean beast jerked in pain and wrenched the sword from the blonde knight's hold. The gold fringed reptile staggered back several steps before collapsing.

A second roar rang out in the air above the scene and suddenly a slender purple and gold dragon dropped from the sky landing beside the fallen dragon. The second beast roared angrily at the knights and great wisps of smoke trailed from its massive maw. A cloaked figure slid easily from its neck.

An aura of malice and anger surrounded the figure as tendrils of green magick energy emanated from his hands hidden under his cloak.

"You have exactly five minutes to leave this area before I start cleaving heads from shoulders," Arthur said so menacingly that the three knights felt their blood turn to ice. Francis and Antonio shot each other tentative looks before slowly backing up toward the forest. Their horses had run off at the sight of Alfred.

Gilbert had been rooted in place since the arrival of the purple dragon and his eyes never wavered from its form. It was the same beast he had encountered all those weeks ago. At that time it's eyes had been filled with murderous intent, but now those eyes were looking at him filled with...Concern? Love?

"Amigo, are you coming with us?" Antonio called from the safety of the tree line snapping the ruby eyed knight from his reverie.

"Go on ahead. I'll catch up," the albino said absently as he watched the periwinkle beast remove the sword from Alfred and lap at his wounded shoulder sealing the injury.

"But Gilbert…"

"I said go damn it," the pale man barked sending an angry glare at his comrades. Without a word the two knights slipped off into the forest.

Now that the threat had been neutralized Arthur spun around to tend to his beloved. The violet creature seeing that he was not needed turned his attention back to the silver haired knight. Slowly the massive beast shrank down until Matthew stood where the dragon had been. The lemon blonde swiftly moved toward his mate but stopped short when the knight backed away from his approach. A myriad of emotions flashed in those ruby eyes he loved so dearly; Anger, betrayal, and most heartbreakingly fear.

"Gilbert?" the violet eyed man said barely above a whisper as he reached a shaking hand toward the man he loved so much it caused him physical pain.

Abruptly, Gilbert turned on his heels and ran into the forest where his friends had disappeared. Leaving Matthew to stare heartbroken as his beloved also disappeared from sight.


	6. Chapter 6

"A dragon and not just any dragon. No! He had to be the Gotts verdammt dragon that almost killed me," Gilbert clutched at his hair in anger and frustration as he walked along the road leading back to North Ameland. The image of the beast that had nearly taken his life transforming into the love of his life constantly replayed in his head. What made the whole situation worse was that Matthew had known the entire time. The feeling of betrayal made his chest ache.

The knight was not paying attention to his path, as he was lost in his despair, but the sudden overwhelming scent of blood tore him from his thoughts. When the silver haired man looked up the sight that greeted him was horrifying. Just ahead on the road lay to bodies. One blonde and one brunette.

"Francis! Antonio!" the albino cried out and ran full tilt to his downed friends. He skidded to a halt on his knees beside Antonio and leaned over the prone man. He pressed his ear to the tan man's chest and sighed happily when he heard a heartbeat. He quickly shuffled over to Francis and found he too was alive.

Gilbert rose to his feet and was trying to think of how to transport both of his friends to the village when the sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention. He turned swiftly in the direction of the steps with his hand on his sword hilt.

"Hello, comrade," A large man greeted the knight as he appeared from the forest. He was exceptionally tall and thickly built with silvery hair similar to the albino's own. He wore a long tattered coat with a long white scarf and nothing else. While his face held a warm, slightly childish smile his frosty purple eyes held an odd glint in them.

"Good day," the ruby eyed man returned the greeting wearily his hand never leaving his sword.

"It would seem you companions are severely injured," the tall man said casually as he slowly began circling the three knights in a manner similar to a beast of prey.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" Gilbert asked as he never let his eyes wander from the other man. The tall man's smile widened.

"What would make you say that, my friend?"

"Just a hunch," the pale knight said as he swiftly unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the frosty eyed man.

"Foolish human. Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons. For you are tasty and go well with ketchup," the silver haired man said with a dark chuckle as a wall of flame instantly engulfed him. The knight had seen this trick before.

"Great another dragon. Just what I need right now," Gilbert growled as he put some distance between himself and his unconscious friends. Feeling he was a safe distance away he took up a ready stance for the oncoming battle.

The flames died away and in their stead stood a massive violet scaled dragon with silver fringe along its spine. The beast's purple eyes were filled with murderous intent as they turned to regard the silver haired knight.

"I hope you put up more of a fight than your comrades," the large reptile said as it lunged toward Gilbert. It's massive claw swiping at the albino. The knight maneuvered out of the monster's reach and followed up with his own attack that regretfully bounced off of the creature's armor like scales.

"You really picked the wrong day to mess with me buddy," Gilbert barked out as he avoided another attack and looked for an opportunity to go on the offensive.

"Oh, has little Matthew upset you? It's a pity you fell in love with him instead of killing him as I had hoped you would," the violet dragon mocked before he spat a ball of fire at the ruby eyed man. The knight narrowly dove out the flames path and rolled to his feet.

"You know, Matthew?" Gilbert queried hoping that keeping the beast talking would make it sloppy enough to give him an opening.

"Know him? He and his accursed brother are the ones who drove me from these lands ages ago. So yes, I know him," the beast said with another burst of fire. Again the knight barely escaped the dragon's fire. What would he not give for some cover right now.

"You're also the one who has been killing all those men," the pale man stated backing toward the tree line.

"Men do make for a tasty meal and my actions had the added benefit of drawing knights here to hopefully slay my enemies. Two birds, one stone as they say," the violet creature said in an oddly cheery tone that sent shivers down Gilbert's spine.

Without warning the monster opened its massive maw and a stream of fire shot toward the knight. Moving quickly Gilbert managed to get out of the destructive forces path.

Unfortunately, in his haste he failed to notice that the dragon had moved into his path and he found himself caught in its claw.

"I grow tired of this game. I think it's time for a snack," the beast said as its grip tightened and it eyed the knight hungrily.

Gilbert struggled valiantly in the monster's clutches, but to no avail. He shut his eyes and prepared for his end.

Suddenly, an enraged roar rang out and a heavy weight slammed into the massive dragon. The bone crushing grip on the pale knight loosened and he fell clumsily to the ground. Upon the impact of hitting the hard earth his breath was stolen and he felt something in his right leg snap.

The sound of predatory growls and heavy blows filled the air. The ruby eyed man looked up from his place on the ground and saw two violet dragons viciously assaulting each other. He instantly recognized the smaller one as Matthew.

The slender dragon had initially had the advantage with the element of surprise, but he simply could not beat the raw power of the bigger beast. The gold fringed dragon did have the advantage of being more agile and quicker than his opponent. The violet reptile managed to land several shallow blows to the massive creature's soft underbelly before he was driven back by a burst of the monster's fire.

Billowing puffs of smoke poured from Matthew's panting jaw and Gilbert was certain the smaller dragon would retaliate with his own flame. To the knight's surprise and horror the periwinkle lizard instead charged the other dragon.

"How foolish," the silver fringed lizard said with a chuckle as he spewed forth more flames. Matthew barely had time to roll out of the fire's path. The smaller dragon quickly regained his footing only to be tackled to the ground and pinned by the larger creature.

"It seems you have still not found your fire, little Matvey," the other beast remarked as he grinned down at his opponent.

"Screw you, Ivan," Matthew growled angrily as more smoke poured from his mouth.

"I gave you and your brother that option long ago," the monster teased as he pressed more of his weight down on his captive. "Tell me how is dear Alfred? Has he given birth to that abomination yet?"

Matthew's body went rigid and his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

"You stay the Hell away from him," the amethyst dragon ground out with an edge to his voice that promised no mercy if he were crossed. This only made Ivan laugh.

"You are in no position to be making threats, little one," Frosty purple eyes grew impossibly colder. "In fact, I fully intend to end your life right here,"

Abruptly, the silver fringed dragon thrust a claw deep into the gold fringed reptile's shoulder causing him to roar in pain.

"And once I have finished with you I will go and see your brother," The claw twisted in his wound. "I will make him watch as I slaughter that wizard he has whored himself to and then crush his disgusting offspring beneath my claw all before I end his cursed existence,"

"No," Matthew hissed through his teeth gritted against the pain.

"But before I do any of that," the massive creature leaned in close to the smaller dragon conspiratorially. "I will have you watch as I devour your mate and know there is nothing you can do to save him,"

At those words something deep inside Matthew suddenly burst to life and a warmth had had never known swelled in his throat. He opened his jaw and flames hotter than magma shot forth in a powerful stream. Ivan was completely taken by surprise and the full force of the fire hit him squarely in the face. The massive monster roared in pain as his violet eyes were melted in their sockets and he reeled backward trying to escape the assault.

Faster than lightening Matthew was on his feet and his jaw's shot forward toward Ivan's throat. His maw closed vice like around the violet dragon's soft underside and with a harsh jerk of his head he ripped out the other's throat.

Blood poured from the open wound as Ivan gasped for air. The massive reptile crumbled to the ground as he slowly drowned and suffocated on his own blood. Within moments he was dead.

Matthew stood panting over his dead opponent before giving a mighty, triumphant roar. An involuntary cry escaped Gilbert as he watched the horrifying scene. The periwinkle dragon's feral eyes instantly turned on the injured knight and he froze in terror.

Large ruby eyes watched as the beast before him began to shrink into the form of the man he had called his lover. As soon as Matthew was in human form he bolted toward his mate.

"Gilbert! Oh thank goodness you're all right," the lemon blonde exclaimed as he fell to his knees beside the knight and reached out to embrace him.

"Don't touch me!" Gilbert scream as he did his best to move away from the slender man. Periwinkle eyes filled with hurt and confusion at the sharp words of the man he loved.

"Gilbert?" Matthew said softly and again reached for his beloved.

"Stay away from me!" the albino moved further away and his ruby eyes burned with a multitude of emotions. "I don't know what sick game you're playing at but I'm done,"

"Sick game? I don't understand?" the violet eyed man said as he felt tears begin to form in his eyes.

"Please, you know exactly what I'm talking about. First, you try and kill me. Then you heal me and get me to fall for you. You are completely twisted," Gilbert growled out with bitterness edging his words.

"That's not…"

"I don't want to hear it!" the knight cried and the smaller man flinched. "Leave Matthew. I don't ever want to see you again,"

Matthew's world came to a screeching, devastating halt as those words tumbled from Gilbert's mouth. The heartache that overwhelmed the lemon blonde was so painful it made him double over into himself. His mate didn't want him. His beloved was rejecting him for what he was and he felt as if he would die.

"Gilbert, please," the periwinkle eyed man said before he was choked by a sob and a torrent of tears ran like rivers over his cheeks.

The small part of Gilbert that still loved Matthew raged at the anguish he was causing the slender man, but his anger quickly beat it into submission.

"Go away, Matthew," the knight said firmly, but turned his eyes to the ground to hide his own pain.

Slowly, Matthew rose to his feet and took several small tentative steps away from the larger man. When he was a yard away he turned back to look at Gilbert. The tiniest of smiles graced his grief stricken face.

"I love you," the blonde said as he was engulfed in a wall of flame and took his dragon form. The amethyst beast took one last look at his mate before shooting into the sky and the most heartbreaking cry rang out through the quiet of the forest.

* * *

Shortly after Matthew's departure villagers from North Ameland found the three knights and the body of the fallen dragon. Carts and wagons were brought to carry the knights and their prize back to the village. Gilbert gave a vague story about what happened and let the people come to their own conclusions. The ruby eyed knight managed to convince his comrades to forget about the other dragon and wizard assuring them that they were no threat.

The men were treated for their injuries and regaled as heroes. The beast was stripped of anything that could be of value and the rest was burnt at a celebration in honor of the heroes. During the festivities the pale knight's horse wandered into town with his personal items strapped to its back. Some called it divine providence, but the albino knew better.

A week later found the trio traveling back to the capital. Upon their return they were again treated as heroes and a grand celebration was held for them. Gilbert was beyond overjoyed to see his brother again as was Ludwig if the bone crushing hug he gave was any indication.

Now, two months later, everything had returned to normal. Well outwardly at least. At night in the privacy of his quarters the silver haired man was in constant despair. His dreams were haunted by the image of heartbroken periwinkle eyes and words of love. The place on his shoulder where he had been marked continuously ached and nothing seemed to be able to stop the pain.

The knight sighed heavily as he listlessly stared out his window and rubbed at his shoulder. He had once again woken from a dream of Matthew covered in sweat and tears.

"Well you look like shite," a familiar voice spoke from the shadows and Gilbert swung around dagger in hand. Acidic green eyes gleamed deviously as Arthur stepped out of the shadows of the knight's chamber.

"Why the Hell are you here?" the larger man asked tension evident in his voice and body. The sandy blonde smirked.

"I told you that if you ever hurt him you'd have to answer to me," the wizard said as he lifted his right hand and an orb of green magick filled his palm. The knight shifted his body and took up a defensive stance.

"So you're here to kill me then? You know I won't go down without a fight," the pale man said his vermilion eyes locking with Arthur's viridian ones. The smaller man lazily rolled the orb in his palm.

"While I would very much enjoy that Matthew would never forgive me. So no I am not here to kill you," Arthur said disappointment quite evident in his words.

"Then what are you here for?" Gilbert asked not relaxing in the slightest. He trusted this man about as far as he could throw him.

"How's your mated mark?" the green eyed blonde asked casually as he now had the orb shifting shape in his hand.

"My what?" the knight queried not certain what the other was talking about.

"The place where Matthew marked you, git. By the way you were rubbing at your shoulder it must ache terribly," Arthur said with an aggravated tone to his voice as he tossed his magick from hand to hand in a rather bored manner.

"How did you…"

"My own mark aches whenever I am away from Alfred for extended periods of time. That boy is exceptionally clingy," the wizard said with a small chuckle and fond smile.

"I don't understand," Gilbert said as he unconsciously lowered his guard.

"Of course you don't, because you didn't stop to listen. Your mark aches because he is heartbroken and it is just going to get worse," the sandy blonde said as the magick in his hand evaporated. "I think you can figure out what you need to do,"

Before the knight had time to react Arthur stepped back into the shadows and was gone. He stared into the dark space for sometime before slumping back against the windowsill. The dagger fell harmlessly from his hand as both hands flew to his head and grasped his hair in frustration.

He didn't want to do this. He REALLY didn't want to do this, but the throbbing in his shoulder and chest forced him into action. Pushing off the windowsill he grabbed a satchel and began packing for his month long trip.

* * *

"Matt! Did you steal Penny from her crib again?" Alfred cried a bit frantically as he burst from the cave entrance and looked about for his brother and child.

"Up here, Al," the lemon blonde called from above his brother. The wheat blonde looked upward and found his brother sitting on the outcropping with his daughter clutched to his chest. The cerulean eyed man sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Bring her down this instant. It's almost time for her lunch,"

Matthew's wings burst from his back as he pushed off of the high ledge and glided gracefully to the ground. Alfred held his arms out expectantly, but his brother did not relinquish the child.

"I can feed her, Al. It really isn't a problem," the periwinkle eyed man said softly as he gently stroked the baby's downy blonde hair and kissed her crown.

Alfred's heart clenched as he watched his brother. Matthew had been obsessively clingy to Penny since the day she was born. The wheat blonde blamed that asshole for hurting his brother, but he couldn't let Matt carry on like this. He needed to face his heartache.

"I know, Matt, and I am so grateful for how much you help with her. She is my daughter though and I do need to take care of her sometimes," Alfred said as he stepped forward and gently took the baby from his sibling. The violet eyed blonde reluctantly let go and suddenly felt very alone. He watched sadly as his brother and niece disappeared into the cave.

With a strong downward thrust of his wings Matthew moved up into the air and again found himself sitting on the edge of the outcropping staring off into the distance as he was wont to do recently.

He didn't know how long he had been like that, but the sudden sound of hoof beats snapped him back to reality. His periwinkle eyes drifted down to the clearing despondently and shot open wide when he saw the rider in the clearing. Without thinking he shoved off of the ledge and dived at the man.

Matthew slammed hard into the rider effectively knocking him from his saddle and carried him to the ground. They hit the ground hard, but the slender blonde was unfazed. He straddled the man's hips and then punched him square in the jaw.

"That was for leaving you son of a bitch," the lemon blonde shouted at a dazed and winded Gilbert before he crushed their lips together in an intense, angry kiss.

Pulling back Matthew glowered down at his mate.

"And that was for coming back,"

"While I'm partly happy to see you too, Mattie, we have a lot we need to talk about," the pale knight said with a small chuckle.

"So start talking," the lemon blonde snapped as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Are you going to let me sit up so we can do this properly?" Gilbert asked with an aggravated sigh as he attempted to sit up only to have himself forced back down by Matthew laying atop him.

"No, because then you'll be able to leave again and I'm not letting that happen," the slender man said as he pressed his full weight down on the knight.

"All right then," the silver haired man started as his arms slid up and around the man atop him. "I'm sorry I left the way I did. I should have heard you out, but I just couldn't reconcile that you and the dragon were the same being. My love for you was in conflict with my hate for the beast who tried to kill me,"

Matthew flinched at the word 'beast' and pressed his face into the albino's chest.

"You have a really bad habit of not listening. If you had listened from the beginning none of this would have happened," the violet eyed man said with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"I'm sorry. I'll have to work on that," the ruby eyed man apologized and tightened his hold on his lover.

"Better late than never I suppose," they both chuckled. "I'm sorry, too. I should have told you about what I am sooner, but I was so scared of how you'd react...How you did react…" Matthew trailed off.

"Do you hate me?" Gilbert asked as he rubbed soothing circles in the smaller man's lower back.

"I wanted to and tried to, but I can't. My love for you is just too strong," the blonde said nuzzling into the larger man's chest. "Do you hate me? Hate what I am?"

In one quick movement Gilbert pushed himself up into a sitting position taking Matthew with him. They locked eyes and the pale knight smiled lovingly at his mate.

"I've told you before that I could never hate you. I'm sorry I made you doubt that. I love you, Matthew," Gilbert said as he lowered his head to capture the blonde's rosy lips.

"I love you, too, Gilbert," Matthew said with a smile as their lips met in a heated kiss that was as searing as dragon fire.


End file.
